1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for characterizing samples having periodic structures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing structural functions of a tissue sample in order to characterize the tissue sample.
2. Description of Related Art
The ability to characterize biological tissues can be of great value in scientific research as well as in the diagnosis of diseases and other maladies. For instance, the ability to identify the type and quantity of cancerous tissues at various stages of a cancer's development can lead to selection of the correct therapy and can save the lives of many patients. However, the complexity of biological tissues has caused the characterization of biological tissues to be very challenging.
One technique for identifying and characterizing various tissues is to take an x-ray of the tissue. An x-ray is an image of the tissue which is formed by measuring how much each portion of the tissue absorbs x-ray radiation. Portions of the tissue with an increased absorption of x-rays generally show up as darker areas on the image while portions with a decreased absorption show up as lighter areas. However, different substances can have similar absorptions. Accordingly, the existence of the two substances can be overlooked and the tissue misdiagnosed.
When an x-ray indicates that cancerous tissues may exist a biopsy is frequently performed. The biopsy process includes inserting a needle into the tissue in order to remove a portion of the suspicious tissue. The tissue is sent to a lab so it can be identified. The biopsy procedure can be painful. Further, obtaining the results can be time consuming since they must be sent to a lab.
For these reasons, there is a need for an apparatus and method for distinguishing between the different tissues within a tissue sample. There is also a need for an apparatus and method which reduces the need for a biopsy and which reduce the time required to identify tissues which may be of interest.